How can I use CERN IdeaSquare?
Workshops and hackathons, prototyping facilities, events and more: find out how the CERN community can benefit from IdeaSquare, the innovation space at CERN
Workshops and hackathons, prototyping facilities, events and more: find out how the CERN community can benefit from IdeaSquare, the innovation space at CERN
Prototype profile: The South African Consortium of Air Quality Monitoring (SACAQM) AI_r system - solving the affordability problem with AI-powered IoT
The SACAQM Al_r system is an air quality monitoring, analysis and prediction system. It leverages cutting-edge air quality sensors, an efficient loT network infrastructure, and advanced artificial intelligence to create a scalable, cost-effective solution.
This technology not only captures real-time air quality data but also employs Al to forecast future air quality conditions. By integrating state-of-the-art sensors with loT and Al capabilities, the Intelligent loT Air Quality Monitoring and Prediction System is positioned to address the limitations of existing systems.
Prototype profile: Switch Support for High Pressure valves
CMS and ATLAS have several cooling systems underground and on the surface with manifolds that need to be operated manually. In these manifolds, there are several high-pressure valves which are purely mechanical parts.
The aim of the switch support is to be able to install on each valve a simple switch in order to allow the monitorisation of the valve position from a SCADA platform without the need to be on-site.
Prototype profile: Light guide development for the electromagnetic calorimeter upgrade of the LHCb experiment
Kacper Jama and his team are focusing on the development of prototypes for the electromagnetic calorimeter (ECAL) upgrade of the LHCb experiment. For this project, many parts have been made in different laboratories, and some of them have been made here at ldeaSquare, such as the Light Guide (LG).
Re-designing a battery recollection container for CERN: when IdeaSquare alumni help with the laboratory recycling challenges
A team made up of former students of IdeaSquare worked on a surprising challenge: re-designing a battery recollection container for CERN. The project recently completed the prototype validation phase and is entering production.
A team made up of former students of IdeaSquare worked on a surprising challenge: re-designing a battery recollection container for CERN. The project recently completed the prototype validation phase and is entering production.
Prototype profile: LHC Vlead Tester Box
The box, called "LHC Vlead Tester", will be used to test power converters which supply current to superconducting magnets.
Because superconducting magnets are cooled to cryogenic temperatures there is a device called "current lead" that enables the connection of room-temperature conductors to cryogenic conductors. These current leads are critical devices, therefore the voltage across them is monitored by the power converter which will shut down if a certain voltage threshold is reached.
Prototype profile: Design and validation of a safe mechatronic system for the handling of radioactive sources
The LHC tunnel is a highly radioactive environment during the operation of the machine.
Four thousand Beam Loss Monitors (BLMs) are placed along the magnets to ensure no radiation escape. It is essential to verify the proper operation of each of these BLMs before operation to ensure safety.
Prototype profile: 3D printed base for Cryogenics CHARM radiation campaign
The latest TE-CRG-IC radiation campaign took place during August-September 2023, in CHARM (CERN High energy AcceleRator Mixed field/facility).
Automated tests were running for three weeks, every three hours, sending and receiving signals from the radiated components.
Prototype profile: Affordable and customisable remote-controlled microscope
Digital microscopes are often a useful tool to have in a laboratory.
However, commercially available microscopes are usually either cheap and low quality, or extremely expensive.
The present prototype was designed to provide a middle-ground, offering a remotely controlled microscope of decent quality, at a price well below 500 CHF.
A custom board hosts the drivers and the microcontroller that controls the movement (up to 4 axes). A Raspberry Pi high-quality camera, readout using a Raspberry Pi 4 hosts the web interface and takes care of the image processing.